Leg holders for and in combination with operating table



May 14, 1957 E. G. WATERS LEG HOLDERS FOR AND IN COMBINATION WITHOPERATING TABLE Filed Feb. 17, 1955 INVENTOR.

BY EDWARD C. PVJWERS.

ATTORNEYS.

LEG HOLDERS FOR AND IN COMBINATION WITH OPERATING TABLE Edward G.Waters, Jersey City, N. 3.

Application February 17, 1355, Serial No. 488,899

2 Claims. (Cl. 311-11) This invention relates to surgical apparatus andmore especially, appartus for supporting a patient in lithotomy positionfor gynecological or other operations or exami nations.

Heretofore appartus for such purposes presented several objectionablefeatures. In general when the patient was supported in the lithotomyposition the strain curve was unevenly distributed and "the area ofoperation and the respiratory region were subjected to undesirablepressure; the operating area was not as readily accessible to thesurgeon as desired and the operating field was not readily visible tothose assisting in the operation. Even the complicated supporting meansheretofore used have failed to satisfactorily overcome thesedifiiculties.

The object of this invention is to avoid the said objectionable featuresof the prior art apparatus, by means of simple and relativelyinexpensive leg holders adapted to be used in combination with almostall conventional types of operating tables in present use.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novelfeatures and combination of parts hereinafter fully described below inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appartus and illustrating anexample of its use;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing a part of the table and one of theleg supports of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing the parts of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a somewhat enlarged fragmental view of certain features ofFigs. 1, 2, and 3 to better illustrate the means of removably attachingthe leg supports to the table.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the table is designated ingeneral as 1, the left-hand leg holder as 2, and the right-hand legholder as 3. The leg holder members 2 and 3 are constructed of steel orcomparable material strong enough to support safely extremities ofvarying sizes and weights. They are constructed to be applied tooperating tables easily, quickly and with positive placement. As will bemore particularly pointed out below, the construction and arrangement issuch that, with the patient in lithotomy position, the strain curve isdistributed evenly through the lumbar spine, sacroiliac joints andfemuro-pelvic articulations. Additionally, no pressure points hear atany area of the lower extremities above the ankle. Theperinealstructures are elevated well above the operating table andtherefore brought more fully into view and reach. The patients thighs donot crowd the abdomen and thus there is no abdominal pressureinterfering with respiration and/or anesthesia control. The operator isseated facing the operating area. The special arrangement of thesupports permits the assistants at either side to be in on the operatingfield without bending, straining, resting on the patient or theappliance. The assistants may either be seated or standmg.

The field, more fully exposed and accessible, may be States Patentprotected and draped more easily than with other type supports.

Each of the holders 2 and 3 is provided with a lower end such as 4 whichis relatively straight, so as to provide a stem which is preferablycircular in cross-section; and with an upper portion such as 5. Theupper portion 5 commencing at point 6 is disposed at an angle a to theaxis of the stem 4; the angle a being preferably about 35. The upperportion 5 is bowed or curved outwardly through substantially its fulllength commencing at point 6 (Fig. 3); the crown or maximum outwardextent of said curve being about five inches from its chord and thelength of said curved portion being about forty-two inches. The upperextremity of each holder is provided with an eye such as 7 or othersuitable means for attaching a foot engaging strap or stirrup such as 8;and intermediate the eye 7 and point 6 each of the holders is providedwith an eye such as 9 or other suitable means for attaching a kneeengaging strap 10, said eye 9 being preferably disposed about eighteeninches from the point 6.

Each of the holders 2 and 3 carries rigidly secured to the stem end suchas 4 a metal block such as 11. The

end 4 is disposed in a recess in the face 12 of the block 11 and isafilxed to the block by suitable means such as welding 13, in suchmanner that the inner face of the block 12 is preferably flush with theinner edge of the stem 4. The block 11 is provided with screw holesdisposed on respectively opposite sides of the stem 4 and preferablyspaced apart toward the outer ends of the block, for receiving thumbscrews such as 14. A block about two inches long and one inch high hasbeen found satisfactory. The block is preferably secured in suchposition that its upper face is about one inch from the point 6 and itslower face is about three and one-half inches from the lower extremityof the stem 4.

It will be understood that the stems 4 are adapted to be received insuitable openings provided on respectively opposite sides of a tablesuch as 1, in combination with which said holders 2 and 3 are used. Forexample, the table 1 is shown as having such receiving sockets or holesprovided in sleeves such as 15 suitably rigidly secured to the table 1by means of integral plates such as 15a. With the holders in theposition shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the blocks such as 11 rest upon theupper faces of the respectively corresponding sockets such as 15,thereby supporting the holders against downward movement; and byadjusting the thumb screws 14 the blocks serve to prevent angularmovement of said holders about the axes of their respective stems 4. Bythis means the leg holders 2 and 3 are firmly and rigidly supportedagainst swinging or angular movements and are adapted to supportappreciable weight.

It will be understood from the foregoing, and as shown in the drawings,that the holders 2 and 3 have their upper ends such as 5 inclined in thesame direction, i. e., toward the same end of the table 1, and thatsubstantially in the plane of inclination, common to both of saidholders, the holders are bowed outwardly in respectively oppositedirections. In the position of the parts as shown in Figs. 1-3 the upperextremity 7 of each of the holders is preferably disposed in a directionlengthwise of the table a horizontal distance of about twenty andone-half inches from the axis of its stem 4 and a distance of aboutthirtyone and one-half inches in an axial direction above said stem; andeach of the upper extremities such as 7 is disposed generally in a planeparallel to its stem 4 and closely adjacent thereto, so that the outerextremities 7 lie approximately in alignment with the respectivelyopposite edges of the table 1.

By way of example of a manner of using the apparatus above described,the figure of a patient, suitably draped, is shown (Fig. 1) supported inlithotomy position.

Having thus described my invention in detail in its present preferredembodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, afterunderstanding my invention, that various changes and modifications maybe made therein without departingfrom,the'spirit and scope thereof, and!aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

- WhatI claim is:

1. A pair of leg holders each comprising a relatively rigid supportprovided at its lower end with a stem adapted to be inserted in acooperating socket provided on a supporting table and whose upperportions are bowed outwardly in relatively opposite directions each withrespect to the other and both of which upper portions are disposed at anangle of the order of 35 to the stem portion in the same direction, theouter extremities of said supports being provided with means forattaching foot engaging means and being disposed in a planesubstantially parallel to said stem and closely adjacent thereto andsaid supports each being provided with means for attaching knee engagingmeans positioned on said bowed portion, intermediate its extremity andstem, whereby when said supports are secured in position on oppositesides and adjacent one end of a table said supports will be bowedoutwardly beyond the respectively opposite sides of said table and willbe inclined in the same direction toward the opposite end of said table.

2. A pair of leg holders each comprising a relatively rigid supportprovided at its lower end with a stem adapted to be inserted in acooperating socket provided on a supporting table and whose upperportions are bowed outwardly a distance of the order of five inches inrelatively opposite directions each with respect to the other andv bothof. which upper portions are disposed. at an angle of the order of 35 tothe stem portion in the same direction, the outer extremities of saidsupports being provided with means for attaching foot engaging means andbeing disposed in a plane substantially parallel to said stern andclosely adjacent thereto said extremities being spaced a distance of theorder of thirty-one and onehalf inches in an axial direction above saidstem and a distance of the order of twenty and one-half inches from saidaxis in a direction at right angles thereto in said plane, and saidsupports each being provided with means for attaching knee engagingmeans positioned on said bowed portion intermediate its extremity andstem, whereby when said supports are secured in position on oppositesides of a table adjacent the operating end thereof said supports willbe bowed outwardly beyond the respectively opposite sides of said tableand will be inclined in, the same direction toward the opposite end ofsaid table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS913,989 Simpson Mar. 2, 1909 1,011,150 Brennan Dec. 12, 1911 1,577,782Atkinson Mar. 23, 1926 1,622,313 Gellhorn Mar. 29, 1927 2,237,252Longfellow Apr. 1, 1941 2,614,558 Lovell Oct. 21, 1952 OTHER REFERENCESThe Lancet, N0. 6788, Oct. 3, 1953 (vol. 265, p. 709).

